Textile machine for flax and like textile substances



, May 15, 1923.

C. F. LESAGE TEXTILE MACHINE FOR FLAX AND LIKE TEXTILE SUBSTANCES Filed March 22 1921 Patented ay 15, 1923.

CHARLES rnancors LESAGE, or roNr-aEMY, SOMME, FRANCE.

TEXTILE MACHINE FOR FLAJI AND LIKE TEXTILE SUBSTANCES.

Application filed March 22, 1921. Serial No. 454,407.

To all wlzomit may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES FnANgois LESAGE, citizen of the French Republic, residing at Font-Remy, Somme, in the Republic of France, have invented new and useful Improvements in Textile Machines for Flax and like Textile Substances, of which the following is a specification.

In certain scutching machines for flax or like textile substances, the handfuls of flax are held in clamping devices slidable in a carriage having a vertical reciprocating motion. In this manner each handful is successively placed under the action of the scutching apparatus. Save for the case in which these machines are of the automatic type and therefore of a very expensive nature, the operator is obliged to press down the handfuls of substance in said clamping devices, thus involving a fatigulng labor. On the other hand, in spite of all precautions which may be taken, the substance held in the clamping devices is often maintained in an imperfect manner at the ends of said devices, thus entailing a waste of material and a reduced output.

The object of this invention is as follows:

1. To obviate the clamping and releasing action, of said devices by discontinuing the use of such clamping devices and by placing the handfuls of flax automatically under the action of rotary drum scutchers, the flax being maintained by cables wlthin grooved wheels.

2. To effect the automatic movement of the handful of flax in such manner that the fresh portion thereof shall be transferred in turn to other rotating drums which perform the finishing operation of the scutching.

The accompanying drawings show by way of example an embodiment of this invention.

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view in elevation of an improved scutching machine according to this invention.

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic plan view of the same.

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view showing the exact position of the handful of textile substance in the grooves of the large upper horizontal pulley.

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view showing the exact position of the handful of textile substance in the grooves of the large lower horizontal pulley.

The scutching machine shown in the drawings comprises two pairs of grooved wheels A, B, C, D, the first pair A, B being situated in a horizontal plane 79 20 and the second pair C, D in another horizontal plane 29 W said second plane 39 39 being situated below the plane 7) p and at regulable distance it according to the length of the stalks to be treated. The grooves of said pulleys have engaging therein the flexible steel cables or bands F, F The two wheels A C have approximately two meters diameter and the two wheels B, D have a smaller diameter, of any suitable dimension. The required tension on the cables or bands F, F is obtained by springs or weights, not shown, acting upon the pulleys B, D.

The scutching devices comprise: two pairs of rotating drums provided with blades t t the construction whereof has been described in detail in a former patent of the same inventor. The drums of each pair are caused to rotate in contrary sense and are provided with rounded-edge blades prefer ably mounted in the radial position and adapted to cooperate but without contacting each other and in an adjustable position, in such manner that the flax is bent and acted upon between said blades. The successive bending effects upon the stalks will effect the separation of the outer covering from the fibre, thus affording a perfect scutching and cleaning of the flax or like material.

The drums F, t are mounted upon the carriages 0 0 having a vertical reciprocating motion the amplitude whereof is represented by a a (Fig. 1). The wheels C and D rotate in the stationary horizontal plane p p and the distance h between said plane and the axis of the drums t when in their position of maximum height has a constant value. According to the length of the stalks to be treated the wheels Aand B rotate in the suitable plane ,1) p situated at the regulable distance it from the plane 39 29 The operation of the machine is as follows:

The workman disposes the handfuls of flax between the cables F and the wheel A, at the point 1. The wheel A rotates according to the arrow f and the several portions of flax are strongly pressed into the grooves of the wheel A by the cables F and follow the movement of rotation of said wheel.

The said handfuls of flax are so engaged that about the length of the flax shall be situated below the plane of the pulley A. Fig. 3 shows the position of the flax in the grooves of the wheel, and also the precautions which are taken to prevent the flax stalks from rising under the tightening action of the cables, this being effected by removing the lower cheek of the wheel 2 and substituting the pointed members 6 suitably spaced apart whereby said cable maintained in the groove.

At the point 2, the portionof the situated below the plane of the pulley A is engaged between the blades of said rotating drums t which carry out the scutchin operation during their vertical reciprocating movement.

It is then required to perform the work upon that part of the flax which is held upon the wheel A by the cables F. To obtain this result the wheels A and C are so disposed that the-handfuls of flax are caused to engage and to be clamped at their lower part between the cables F and the wheel C, which operates at the same periphery speed as the wheel A, but in the opposite sense and according to the-arrow f whereby the handfuls of flax are caused to move in the same direction.

At the point 3, the portions of flax are entirely'disengaged from the wheel A and are only held by the cables F of the wheel C. The upper'part of the flax portions, being now released from the cables of the wheel A will drop down by its own weight in such manner that the flax portions are automatically reversed in position and will now occupy the position upon the wheel C which is shown in Fig. 4:. At the point 4, the parts of the flax which have not been operated upon will engage between the rotating drums t which thus complete the scutching operation. The several portions of flax, which are now entirely scutched, are collected by a second workman upon leaving the cables F at the point 5.

The speed of the wheels A and U is so designed that the handfuls of flax during their passing between the rotary scutching drums are submitted to the action of the blades secured to said drums during a time which is adjustable according to the nature of the material and is such as may be required to obtain a perfect scutching of the same.

The principal advantages of the apparatus according to this invention are an increase in output and a diminution in labor and fatigue.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A scutching machine for flax or like substances comprising in combination two sets of rotary pulleys having peripheral grooves, each set comprising'a main pulley against the periphery of which the handfuls of materialare adapted to be clamped, endless members engaging into said grooves in order to clamp the handfuls of materials against the periphery of said pulleys, the two main rotary pulleys occupying in plan view substantially tangential positions, two sets of scutching devices, each set being situated below the corresponding set of rotary pulleys and embodying two scutching drums adapted to receive a rotary motion, and means imparting to said scutching devices a reciprocal vertical movement.

2. A scutching machine for fla-X or like substances comprising in combination two sets of rotary pulleys having peripheral grooves, each set comprising a main pulley against-the peripheryof which the handfuls of material are adapted to be clamped, endless members engaging into said grooves in order to clamp the handfuls of materials against the periphery of said pulleys, the two main rotary pulleys occupying in plan view substantially tangential positions, the primary upper set of said rotary pulleys being arranged at a regulable distance from the other lower set according to the length of the treated handfuls, two sets of scutching devices, each set being situated below the corresponding set of rotary pulleys and embodying two rotary scutching drums, and means imparting to said scutching devices a reciprocal vertical movement.

3. A scutching machine for flax or like substances comprising in combination two sets of rotary pulleys having peripheral grooves, each set comprising a mainpulley against the periphery of which the handfuls of material are adapted to be clamped, endless members engaging into said grooves in order to clamp the handfuls of materials against the periphery of said pulleys, the

two main rotary pulleys occupying in plan view substantially tangential positions, two

sets of scutching devices, each set being sit-v uated below the corresponding set of rotary pulleys and embodying two rotary scutching drums having'their shafts secured upon a carriage receiving from the driving shaft of the machine an automatic and vertical'reciprocal movement. r

4. A scutching machine for flax or like substances comprising in combination two sets of rotary pulleys having peripheral grooves, each set comprising a main pulley against the periphery of which the handfuls of material are adapted :to be clamped,

endless members enga ing into said grooves in order to clamp the handfuls of materials against the periphery of said pulleys. and means for preventing the flax stalks from rising under the tightening action of the cable, the two main rotary pulleys occupy ing in plan view substantially tangential positions, two sets of scutching devices, each set being situated below the corresponding set of rotary pulleys and embodying two rotary scutching drums provided with substantially radial blades, and means impart-- ing to said scutching devices a reciprocal vertical movement.

5. A scutching machine for flax or like substances comprising in combination two sets of rotary pulleys having peripheral grooves, each set comprising a main pulley against the periphery of which the hand fuls of material are adapted to be clamped, endless members engaging into said grooves in order to clamp the handfuls of materials against the periphery of said pulleys, spikes spaced apart from each other, constituting the outer flange of one groove and engaging the flax and maintaining the cable in the groove, the two sets of main rotary pulleys occupying in plan view substantially tangential positions, two sets of scutching devices, each set being situated below the corresponding set of rotary pulleys and embodying two rotary scutching drums provided with substantially radial blades, and means imparting to said scutching devices a reciprocal vertical movement.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

CHARLES FRANQOIS LESAGE. 

